I am a list maker…even in retirement from my secular work. For me, what doesn’t get listed, doesn’t get done. It is also very rewarding for me to check that item off the list when it is accomplished. The list has a progression of priorities. One task cannot happen until another task is completed. And so life goes with my lists guiding my behavior and productivity.
As I journal each morning in my conversational prayer with God, the Father, His Spirit guides me to make another list that helps me to mature and grow in Him. I am convicted of some of those “fruits of the Spirit” that I have not tended to or cultivated, have ignored or left undone. His Holy Spirit redirects my thoughts and helps me form a list of tasks that will help me improve my behavior. “Keep a close check on yourself”, writes Paul to Timothy. For me, that means to make a spiritual checklist that keeps me in close contact with the will and purpose of our Father, God and helps me to grow closer to Him.
We can do nothing of significance without God. I am convinced that He guides us to all things that are good for our growth and aid our learning about Him and how He works. Paul also gives Timothy sound advice about how to treat those whom God has called to lead with character traits with another list of how to lead. This list still applies to us today. The theme of this episode seems to be; Know God, Know Yourself, Know The Message, Know Your Audience. Our deeds, good and bad, will be evident. Be driven by God’s love in us.
1 Timothy 5, The Message
17-18 Give a bonus to leaders who do a good job, especially the ones who work hard at preaching and teaching. Scripture tells us, “Don’t muzzle a working ox” and “A worker deserves his pay.”
19 Don’t listen to a complaint against a leader that isn’t backed up by two or three responsible witnesses.
20 If anyone falls into sin, call that person on the carpet. Those who are inclined that way will know right off they can’t get by with it.
21-23 God and Jesus and angels all back me up in these instructions. Carry them out without favoritism, without taking sides. Don’t appoint people to church leadership positions too hastily. If a person is involved in some serious sins, you don’t want to become an unwitting accomplice. In any event, keep a close check on yourself. And don’t worry too much about what the critics will say. Go ahead and drink a little wine, for instance; it’s good for your digestion, good medicine for what ails you.
24-25 The sins of some people are blatant and march them right into court. The sins of others don’t show up until much later. The same with good deeds. Some you see right off, but none are hidden forever.
LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLE #6: Keep a Close Check on Yourself
Leadership Characteristics –
–Fully rely on God. Trust Him with all you are and all you have. We are His. All we have is His.
–Ask God “if there is anything offensive to you, cleanse me.” as the Psalmist prayed.
–Repent with a heart and mind not wanting to return to the old life.
–Look full into the face of Jesus, our Master, Lord and Savior with laser focus so we know what direction to take next.
–“Keep a close check on yourself.” Avoid, “he did it, I can, too” or “my sin is not as bad as his sin” or “everybody’s doing it” mentality.
–Ask God for wisdom, insight and understanding.
–Allow God’s transformation to continue in our lives.
–Ask God to make your lists of to BE and to DO. HE will prioritize your lists in ways you cannot imagine! Where He guides, He provides help all along the journey.
–Do all in a Spirit of love for God and others.
–Care enough to confront others with God’s love and concern for their spiritual well-being and growth.
WarningThe things on our spiritual check list can never be crossed off because we’ll be working on them our whole lives. By listing we are reminding ourselves of what we need to work on to “keep a close check” on our lives. It is only by The Atonement of Jesus Christ can we accomplish anything of eternal significance.
Dear Heavenly Father, You have convinced me that we must do spiritual “business” with You each day to improve our being in You. Thank you for helping us on this journey. Thank you for Your Holy Spirit that points out things in our behavior that could cause us to crash…before crashing. Thank you for always being with us, guiding and directing, loving and protecting and challenging us to grow and bear Fruit. Continue to transform me. Transform your church. Transform the world through your church. In Jesus Name, Amen
Randy and I raised three children. Daughter, son, daughter, in that order. The son was quiet which we soon learned to watch more closely rather than just listen for trouble when they were playing outside or inside. He thought it great sport to instigate a war between his sisters, then sit back a watch. We laugh about that, now. For the most part they got along with each other and each other’s friends. But when weariness set in or they were “hangry”, their attitudes toward each other, like all young children, would test the limits of all boundaries set by their parents with;
“Mom, she’s breathing on me!” “Again.”
“Dad, she’s on my side on the car; clearly over the imaginary line of my personal space!”
“She took the biggest piece.” “And why are eating this again?”
“He just took his toys and left us with none.”
“She used my towel to clean dry up the spill!”
“He said I was annoying, what does that mean?”
“I’m NOT at maximum comfort in this car.”
“Why do we have to take naps?” “Ugh.” (Parents all know the litany of answers to that one!)
As believing parents we rely on the love of God in us along with His Holy Spirit’s power to parent our children from birth to adult. We don’t always get it right; but we keep trying to learn. By the time they reach adulthood and on their own, we wish sometimes for a do-over because of all the lessons we learned in parenting our children.
Believing parents teach, show and tell examples, and point them ever to what Jesus taught in Scripture so our young children with develop the skills it takes to get along not only with each other but as building blocks of character to relate to others on their journeys in life.
Most times we see the fruits of teaching work beautifully; but there are times that the quarreling tests our abilities to reason. But as I look back, I remember the times when strangers would complement our kids on their behaviors with observing how well they got along with each other. I do know this, they would, to this day as adults, come to the rescue for each other with no hesitation! As adults, they still help each other in all kinds of ways—including moving families from one house to another. Moving is the true test of love and care! As a family, we have all helped each other move, clean, paint, mow, borrow cars when needed, pick up children or drop them off, without a second thought to our own agendas. I thank God for our children and their spouses. I thank God for our grandchildren who have “inherited” the legacy of being helpers, not only within our family but for other families within their communities. I thank God for Jesseca, Samuel, and Carrie. I thank God for Randy who fathered well.
Psalm 133, The Message
A song of ascents. Of David.
1-3 How wonderful, how beautiful, when brothers and sisters get along! It’s like costly anointing oil flowing down head and beard, Flowing down Aaron’s beard, flowing down the collar of his priestly robes. It’s like the dew on Mount Hermon flowing down the slopes of Zion. Yes, that’s where God commands the blessing, ordains eternal life.
WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?
Many ask and ponder the big question of all people of all nations— “Why can’t we just get along?” God smiles as He watches the true unity of His children just like a parent sighs contentment and joy when their kids get along. But guess what, it’s not just about pleasing God or each other—it’s the peace that dwells in us when we set aside our own interests for the interests and agendas of others. (Like Jesus demonstrated, Philippians 2)
Where does this peace come from? The Prince of Peace is the Source of all peace. God’s Word teaches;
“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” –Apostle Paul to the church then and applicable to us now. Romans 12:18
“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.” –Paul, Colossians 3:15
“All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”—Jesus, The Source of Peace, John 14:25-27
The difference between Biblical peace versus worldly peace:
Worldly Peace: The world offers peace that depends on good luck, safety, or things going well. It can change or disappear fast when trouble starts.
Jesus’ Peace: His peace is a deep gift inside a person. His peace stays strong even when life is hard, scary, or sad. He is our strength to maintain peace when we debate and disagree with others. Jesus at the center is peace, the Prince of Peace, who maintains our peace when we call on His Name.
“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” –Philippians 4:7, ESV
Sweet peace, the gift of God’s love, is the strength and wisdom we need to live in peace with each other. We do not have to agree to love each other in Christ Jesus. That is the beauty of surrendering and allowing the peace of Christ to rule our hearts, minds, and souls!
Finally, we must remain faithful to the Lord, and be united in Him. The peace of Christ is meant to unite (not untie or divide) the Body of Christ, acting as an arbiter or governing principle in believers’ relationships.
Think about it—God made peace with us with blood of Jesus!
“For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.” Colossians 1:19-20
THIS is the secret—
“For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory.”—Colossians 1:27, NLT
Jesus, the Prince of Peace, lives in us who believe, repent, surrender, and follow in His Name for His Glory!
Lord,
Thank you for your psalms of conviction, correction, comfort, compassion, that compel us to love, honor, trust, and obey you with all that is in us—with the Help and Power of your Holy Spirit living in us! We seek peace, your peace, to rule our hearts always. It is your peace that is the most beautiful of all!
The Psalmist asks God to show His favor upon the reigning son of David and on the legacy David founded guided by God. David wanted so desperately to build God a place of worship to God in Zion. If fact, David swore an oath of promise to God that he would secure a dwelling place for the Lord and is remembered in this psalm. The Lord promised that he would secure David’s dynasty, most closely associated with his throne. In this way, the Lord’s oath responds to David’s oath.
Theologically, as most psalms do, we read and remember God’s promises given to David. God’s promises were given to David with the ultimate purpose to save the world. God guided, protected, and provided for any descendant of David who kept the law of God. The “anointed one” includes any of David’s children, but it ultimately looks to the great Messiah, who would come from David’s line. The Anointed Messiah is Jesus Christ, Savior of the world, the King of kings and Lord of lords!
Hold that thought as we read…
Psalm 132, The Message
A song of ascents.
1-5 O God, remember David, remember all his troubles! And remember how he promised God, made a vow to the Strong God of Jacob, “I’m not going home, and I’m not going to bed, I’m not going to sleep, not even take time to rest, Until I find a home for God, a house for the Strong God of Jacob.”
6-7 Remember how we got the news in Ephrathah, learned all about it at Jaar Meadows? We shouted, “Let’s go to the shrine dedication! Let’s worship at God’s own footstool!”
8-10 Up, God, enjoy your new place of quiet repose, you and your mighty covenant ark; Get your priests all dressed up in justice; prompt your worshipers to sing this prayer: “Honor your servant David; don’t disdain your anointed one.”
11-18 God gave David his word, he won’t back out on this promise: “One of your sons I will set on your throne; If your sons stay true to my Covenant and learn to live the way I teach them, Their sons will continue the line— always a son to sit on your throne. Yes—I, God, chose Zion, the place I wanted for my shrine; This will always be my home; this is what I want, and I’m here for good. I’ll shower blessings on the pilgrims who come here, and give supper to those who arrive hungry; I’ll dress my priests in salvation clothes; the holy people will sing their hearts out! Oh, I’ll make the place radiant for David! I’ll fill it with light for my anointed! I’ll dress his enemies in dirty rags, but I’ll make his crown sparkle with splendor.”
WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?
When we read and study God’s Word, we must always remember that most importantly this is God’s Story of Redemption describing His Legacy through His created to demonstrate his traits of unconditional love, mercy, and grace. God’s Word to us is His legacy of who He is with how He faithfully He helps those who call on His Name. In fact, God is faithful even when we are not faithful to Him. David is one of many examples. God will keep His promises.
God’s Word is not a self-help book like the world places on book store shelves, gathering dust with the latest and greatest ways to correct the behaviors that are not working for us in our current environments and situations of life! God’s Word is written by God to tell His story of Truth so that we might believe, repent of our sins, and live Truth. God’s Holy Spirit guides to all Truth when we ask God for wisdom, insight and understand as we read His Word. He is the One with the power to transform us by cleansing our hearts, renewing our minds, refreshing our souls, while restoring the joy of our relationship with Him through Jesus! God/Jesus/Holy Spirit, all God in Three Persons all speak truth to us. Trust in the One who never fails to speak Truth and always keeps His promises to be with us always.
The Word of God is written (as promised) on the hearts of those who believe and trust with surrender to God’s will and purpose. God’s Word is written to be understood by hearts committed to God. We “take to heart” all God says because He cannot lie; He only speaks Truth! God used his prophets, disciples, apostles and other followers to tell who He is with what He desires to do in us because He loves us and wants to have a personal relationship with us! It’s all about God in us, working through us, to be all He created us to be with the bonus of eternal life filled with inexplicable joy and a perfect peace that only He can give to us as gifts of His character and being. God is Spirit who desires to live in us. Invite Him in!
God wants us to be more like Him in all His ways and His ways are perfect, righteous, and holy. We cannot be holy on our own. To be holy we must seek Him for only He is holy. It is God who has the desire to make us holy as we humbly walk with Him. That does not mean we are perfect but all who believe have full access to God who is perfect. We discover that the more we walk and talk with God in a humbled, honest, and growing relationship with Him, the more we see ourselves becoming more like Him in His character. We are transformed day by day by being in His Presence.
From the beginning, even before the Fall of Adam and Eve, God had a Plan to save us. His Legacy of Salvation and Redemption was placed on the shoulders of His Son, Jesus. Jesus willingly obeyed because of His love for all of us.
God desired to demonstrate His character of unconditional love, compassionate mercy, with unending grace to the world and inhabitants He created in person! God’s Plan was to send the Messiah, meaning “one who saves”, as foretold by God’s prophets, into the world to seek the lost to show the Way back to God, the Truth about God, with the extreme gift of Eternal Life with God. This Personwas Jesus, God’s One and Only Son, who was sent from glory to earth to represent God as part of Himself, as “God in flesh”. This is how John was inspired to describe this incarnation of God in Jesus, the Person of Truth;
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” John 1:1-5
“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14
“Don’t judge a book by its cover” we hear so often from librarians, or media specialists. We also hear it said when are tempted to judge each other by how we look physically or behave emotionally without getting to know the real person from the inside out. Everyone is created by God with purpose. Read that again. Read it again until we believe it. Look at others with God’s eyes, wondering what God will do in and through them! Be aware, this might change our current way of thinking with assumptions and presumptions!
The Psalmist invites us to think more deliberately about how we cultivate memory of all God has done that leads us to nurture our hope in Jesus who is the Way, Truth, and Life. Both remembering and hope are necessary for those who seek to walk in the way of the Lord.
Lord,
Thank you for these words of truth that nurture our souls for it brings back all the memories of how you work diligently in our lives to make us whole and holy before you. Thank you for convicting us without condemning us, correcting us with your new fresh mercies, comforting us with your compassions that fail not, while compelling us to seek to love and live more like you in every way.
“But if we wait expectantly for things we have never seen, then we hope with true perseverance and eager anticipation.” Romans 8:25 The Voice
I am discovering, (although slowly), that hope and wait go together like pie and ice cream! You can’t have one without the other! Wait includes time for our expectations to rise for what we know God will do. We just don’t know what or how He will do it! Hope builds in the wait as we trust God to do what is best for us no matter the circumstances on our current journey. God always comes through on our behalf through trials and tests, at just the right time, as a testimony of His glorious work in us as we stand firm in our faith–all so that others will see His works in us—not for our glory but for His!
Remember the Lazarus story? (Read the whole story in John 11) Lazarus, a very good friend, as were his sisters, Martha and Mary, to Jesus. Jesus used to stay at his house when in the area. Martha served while Mary sat at his feet, hanging on every word Jesus spoke. While Jesus was away to “seek and to save the lost and heal the sick”, Lazarus fell gravely ill. Jesus was summoned to come heal him before death; but He chose to wait. Jesus stayed where he was for two more days instead of going right away. He explained that the illness would bring glory to God. Why didn’t he drop everything in ministry to go heal his dear friend? Let us repeat what Jesus said to his concerned disciples with him—”Waiting will bring glory to God.”
Did the disciples fully understand? —probably not. But we know from reading through the gospels that Jesus didn’t say or do anything powerfully significant without first consulting His Father in heaven—as we should.
“I only do and say what my Father tells me.”
As it turned out, Lazareth died before Jesus arrived. Mary and Martha grieved for their brother deeply. In their grief, Marha looked at Jesus and said, “my brother would not have died if you would have been here”. (Ouch) Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life”. Did she understand? Not completely. She knew all who believed would be with God in heaven someday; but she didn’t know the full story—yet—of Jesus redeeming death and God’s resurrection of Jesus to life for eternity! Her only thought was of her brother who had died.
Mary, in her grief, just sobbed at Jesus’ feet. Seeing their sorrow and the weeping crowd, Jesus was deeply moved and cried. This forms the shortest verse in the Bible: “Jesus wept”. (John 11:35)
Jesus then went to work on behalf of this family but mainly for the purpose to declare the power and glory of God for all to see! Jesus went to the tomb and ordered the stone in front be rolled away. (A sign of things to come for his resurrection and life!) Martha warned that after 4 days, the smell would be bad. But Jesus was not concerned about the physical—only the spiritual renewal of his dear friends and the crowd who watched—as the glory of God provided the miracle of life! Remember what Jesus said days earlier? “Waiting will bring glory to God.”
Jesus prayed out loud to God for all to hear so they would know that what was about to happen would be the glorious, miraculous work of God. Then, in hopeful expectation, Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!”
Lazarus walked out of the tomb, still wrapped in strips of linen burial cloth. Jesus told the people to take off the grave clothes and let him go! No longer bound by the things of this world, Lazarus was free to walk with Jesus once more on earth. Mary and Martha turned their grief into joy, praising God for resurrecting their brother. We can almost hear Martha order, “Get out the funeral casseroles and cakes and let the party of life begin!”
Many of the witnesses came to believe in Jesus after seeing this miracle. At the same time, it made the religious leaders angry and anxious, leading them to plot against Jesus’s life. The miracle also prompted the chief priests and Pharisees to plot to kill Lazarus as well, because he was living proof of Jesus’s power as the proclaimed Son of God!
There was no denying it—God’s was in control. God never gave up His authority but demonstrated His power and glory through the resurrection of Lazarus—and later Jesus, His Son. All in God’s perfect timing. There is glory in the wait when God directs our path.
Psalm 131, The Message
A song of ascents. Of David.
God, I’m not trying to rule the roost, I don’t want to be king of the mountain. I haven’t meddled where I have no business or fantasized grandiose plans.
2 I’ve kept my feet on the ground, I’ve cultivated a quiet heart. Like a baby content in its mother’s arms, my soul is a baby content.
3 Wait, Israel, for God. Wait with hope. Hope now; hope always!
WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?
Prayerfully ponder; (Take a minute or two)
Do I wait with glorious expectation for what God will do in and through me?
Hope, waiting for the glorious expectation for God to act begins with the surrender of our will while seeking His “pleasing and perfect will.” Hope with wait includes patience for His timing in all things, being still before the Lord in communion with Him, asking for His wisdom, along with a great deal of focused listening for Him. (Romans 12 helps us)
The hope I sought used to include those things I asked God for and knew He could make happen if it was in His will. But now in this season of my life, hope is connected strongly to peace—the peace and contentment I feel when I am just quiet and still before Him, knowing with full trust that God is sitting right here with me as I listen, waiting with expectant hope for Him. I adore my Lord. I adore watching Him work in all His glory all around and in me. I love to give Him all the thanksgiving He deserves from a humbled grateful heart. But my words are just not enough.
Like David sings, my heart also sings with the same content—like a child wrapped in her mother’s arms sitting on her lap. I hope and pray to see God’s glory at work daily and He answers in ways that I never dreamed! God does it over and over because it is His glorious power I love to see all around me. Most days, I cannot keep up with my consistent words of thanks and praise to equal His continuous glorious blessings of goodness that I see at work in and all around us!
There is no one like our God!
Our God is powerful yet personal. He created us to be in an intimate, personal, loving, growing relationship with Him. What I described above is how I grew to love Him more and more each day. He never gave up on me and I love being with Him.
And guess what—it’s not must me!Everyone who calls on His Name will not only be saved for eternity but grows exponentially in an incredibly intimate loving relationship with the God of all Creation! We stand in a healthy awe and fear of our Lord for all He has done, is doing and will do in our hope-filled lives as we wait expectantly!
ICYMI, Hope is associated closely withthe action of wait. In the past, my waits seemed longer for me because I thought it was an exercise in doing nothing. When I was much younger, working at full speed, giving God all I had, wanting tasks to be done yesterday so others could know Him more today, the word wait was hard to swallow. Over the years, I had to learn the value of hope with wait. Now, with the powerful guidance of His Holy Spirit along with the same commitment to tell His story of redemption, the waits are growing sweeter as time goes by. I learned to relax and let God.
Wait Time of being still in quiet adoration of my Lord, I fully realized the depth of the old hymn of my parents and grandparents; “And He walks with me and He talks with me and He tells me I am His own…” for I know Whom I have believed and I know fully that God walks with me and does indeed talk with me all day long. Sometimes I wake to the sound of His still small voice, whispering the solution of a problem or a blessed plan for resolution. Sometimes God just reminds me to rejoice in the blessings He has already provided. “…And the joy we share as we tarry there, none other has ever known.”
There is no one like our God!
My heart contently wonders what is on the heart of God about all that concerns me about my family, friends, and those who enjoy working with the enemy. So, I resolutely pray while He works. This is the peace of Christ living in all who believe, trust, hope, wait, and obey.
Lord,
Thank you for David’s song that reminds us of the song you put in our hearts. Thank you for cleansing our hearts, removing all that does not belong, renewing our minds, helping us to wait with expectant hope, refreshing our souls with your new mercies for today, all while restoring the joy of your salvation at work within us. What a mighty God you are!
The background of Psalm 130 reminds us that God who was at the beginning, is now, and always will be, created each one of us. He is the One and Only God we seek for forgiveness of our sins. We know from Genesis, that God began with the creation of Adam and Eve. Other humans were created from this union, all created in the image of our Creator. Nothing has changed in the method to birth the human race. Only mankind has disrupted God’s plan created for our best.
From the creation of Adam and Eve, God gave us the gift of decision making. He gave Adam the choice of naming all the animals. He gave both of them the choice to relate to Him. Later, we learn that Adam and Eve were presented with the most important decision of all—to obey God or not. Their relationship with God was at risk but they didn’t take time to consider the consequences of their decision.
Adam and Eve were too distracted and craftily deceived as Satan manipulated their thinking with the temptation to “be as wise as God”. A new feeling, not felt before in their relationship with God, was shame and humiliation. Shame was birthed from their disobedience to God. They no longer saw themselves as God saw them; holy and pure, made in His own image. The prince of darkness, the Deceiver lied to them in ways that made them feel they could as wise as God, with superiority equal to God—their Creator! He uses the same old, tired tricks today! It’s all he has. Evil’s powers are limited. God’s power is not.
The result of listening and falling for the lies of the Destroyer is a broken relationship with God. The Fall of Humanity began with the decision to disobey God. Since the Fall, many people have sought reconciliation with God through repentance of their sins. Others seek validation for their disobedience of God by rationalizing their sins as “the devil made me do it,” or “everyone’s doing it”. Others tend to rank their sins as being “not as bad as this guy or that guy.” Jesus addressed these thoughts in His story of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector. (See Luke 18:9-14)
“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” —Paul, proclaiming The Salvation Plan of God to all who would believe. Romans 3:23-24
Why did Adam and Eve fall for the lie? (Read Genesis 3 for the whole story!) God wanted and gave His best to them. God desired to have this a loving, perfectly beautiful relationship with them. God enjoyed walking with Adam and Eve in the “cool of the evening” each day in the garden. God created a perfect home for Adam and Eve before He created them. Then God placed them in His perfectly created, beautifully growing garden of provision, made for the pleasure and sustenance. He only had one command of them. “Don’t eat of this tree—the tree of Life”.
God’s enemy, the fallen angel who wanted to be God and take over and was kicked out of heaven decided he would go after what God had created, loved and was precious to God—Adam and Eve. We can imagine evil disguising himself as a serpent, slinking and crawling into the forbidden tree, and then beckoning them to come and take a bite of the fruit. “Seriously Eve, it’s a talking serpent! Adam, don’t fall for what he is saying!”, we want to say. But we read on as the deceptive serpent tempted Eve first, convincing her that eating the fruit would make both of them be as wise like God. Notice that evil is using the same tactics that got him kicked out of heaven!
God’s only recourse for Adam and Eve’s disobedience was to kick them out of the Garden of Eden—The perfect place created by our Perfect God who loves us with His perfect love. The consequences of their decision to buy the lies of Satan, the Deceiver and Destroyer of all relationships, has severed the relationship God wanted to have with His created.
Adam and Eve hit rock bottom before enjoying the fullness of their relationship with God in the place He had created for them to enjoy. “You had one job—to avoid the tree of life like God ordered,” we might shout to Adam and Eve, until we too are tempted with distractions and fall for the insane lies of evil because of the seeds of arrogance that lie within us! We might question, (I did when I was much younger), why did God give them a choice, (free will)? Doesn’t He know we will fail and fall?
Hold that thought…
Psalm 130, The Message
A song of ascents.
1-2 Help, God—I’ve hit rock bottom! Master, hear my cry for help! Listen hard! Open your ears! Listen to my cries for mercy.
3-4 If you, God, kept records on wrongdoings, who would stand a chance? As it turns out, forgiveness is your habit, and that’s why you’re worshiped.
5-6 I pray to God—my life a prayer— and wait for what he’ll say and do. My life’s on the line before God, my Lord, waiting and watching till morning, waiting and watching till morning.
7-8 O Israel, wait and watch for God— with God’s arrival comes love, with God’s arrival comes generous redemption. No doubt about it—he’ll redeem Israel, buy back Israel from captivity to sin.
WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?
Truth: God loves us and wants us to love Him back because of our own desire to be with Him in relationship. Our obedience to God is our measure of our love for God.
This isn’t really that hard to understand how God thinks concerning His love and care for us. Loving relationships are our main desire with our kids—from birth through adult. As parents, and later grandparents; we want our kids and grandkids, (anyone actually) to want to be with us as their choice. We do not want them to come from a feeling obligation—how awkward is that?
We desire the relationship with our beloved with the same desire God has for us. He wants to love us and demonstrates this love daily. God also wants us to to love Him back, telling us to imitate the love Jesus showed for all when He came to earth. This is real love that is not tainted by duty, manipulation, or commanded obligation—just pure love—the perfect love God has for each one of us. We want them to decide to love us because they know we love them deeply and forever!
John, the “beloved disciple” of Jesus explains the love of God this way;
“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.” 1 John 4:7-12
God’s love is a love that “covers a multitude of sins” and “keeps no record of sins” against each other. God’s love is intimate and forever. God’s love for us does not change and will never give up on us. His desire is for us to love like Him! God gave us the proof of His love: “God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)
Psalm 130 is a lament by one who knows that even though he is a sinner, the Lord hears his cry out of the depths. The Psalmist proclaims in his prayer to God, “As it turns out, forgiveness is your habit, and that’s why you’re worshiped.”The Psalmist was so right!
God loved us so much that He also created a Buy Back Plan, from the beginning of creation, to rescue us from the Enemy we fall for and decide to follow instead of God. Jesus came to seek and to save the lost; then became the One who paid the price for our redemption from sin. He is the One God chose to give His life for ours. Jesus willingly obeyed God with broken relationships with God on His mind.
The cost to pay for sins of the world was the cost of a life who was sinless. Jesus knew the price that had to paid to “buy us back” from the master we chose to foolishly follow. Jesus, our Redeemer said yes to bearing the beatings while enduring the humiliation and mocking. Jesus silently listened to the false accusations brought up against Him. With prayerful resolve, He then carried the cross He would nailed upon while the weight of the sins of the world bought him to his knees. A person was ordered to carry the cross to the place meant too shame Jesus in the most public place for all passersby to see Him suffer and die—as a criminal. He could have called ten thousand angels to rescue Him—but He did not. Buying us back by taking the punishment we deserved to pay the sin debt so we could reconcile with God in relationship was too important—a matter of life in eternity with us!
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believesin him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16-17
It is Jesus, alone, who sets us free to have a wonderful, relentlessly loving relationship with God! Sins gone “as far as the east is from the west”. Sins erased “to be remembered no more”. We are free to love God back without anything or anyone standing between us and our God.
Simply stated: We sin. God made a Way we can return to a loving relationship with Him through Jesus. But it is still our choice to accept the gift of God, repent and be saved by the blood of the Lamb. There is no one like our God!
What kind of love is this? I’m still trying to understand the depth and fullness of God’s love for us; but I choose to love Him back because He first loved me. I accept His gift of salvation and believe in the love He has for me. I pray that others will know Him through these writings. I will proclaim this love as long as I have breath on earth! To God be the glory, honor, and praise! I love you, Lord, with all my heart, all my mind, and all my soul. Continue to teach me to love like you love me.
If we truly believe what God says to be really real then I wonder why we cower when we are mocked for faith living and made to feel “less than” by the arrogant? If we believe that God is the Supreme Judge over all His creation and Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords, assigned by God to this position after returning to heaven as the Redeemer of our souls, then truly “Whom then shall we fear?”
We remember now what David wrote in a previous psalm of praise to God;
The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?
2 When the wicked advance against me to devour me, it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall. 3 Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident.
4 One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple. 5 For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock. Psalm 27:1-5
What David sought; God provided to all of us through Jesus, Our Deliverer!
We are joint heirs with Jesus when we say yes to Him in surrender. God’s justice was done at the cross, depriving evil of its bonded hold on us, with deliverance from our sins by His Son, Jesus! The more we read and believe; the more we realize that God’s justice is for all who believe, repent, and live for Jesus. (John 3:16-17) What God desires for us, the prophet Amos declared; “But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!” The people of Amos’ day had no reverence or regard for God. Their offerings and sacrifices were given from hearts far from God as they continued in their sins of idolatry worship with insane, wild parties. It did not go well with them then and sin does not go well with us now. Sin cannot be a part of a human created by God “in His own image”. Sin doesn’t fit.
That’s why God’s justice is so powerful, like a mighty river, that rolls over the enemy’s obstacles likened to a giant river that powerfully rolls over the rocks and ridges underneath as if they were pebbles and sand. God’s justice cleanses humbled, repentant hearts completely, by washing away all our sins “just as if” they never occurred. Wow! “This is how Israel tells it—
Psalm 129, The Message
A song of ascents.
1-4 “They’ve kicked me around ever since I was young” —this is how Israel tells it— “They’ve kicked me around ever since I was young, but they never could keep me down. Their plowmen plowed long furrows up and down my back; But God wouldn’t put up with it, he sticks with us. Then God ripped the harnesses of the evil plowmen to shreds.”
5-8 Oh, let all those who hate Zion grovel in humiliation; Let them be like grass in shallow ground that withers before the harvest, Before the farmhands can gather it in, the harvesters get in the crop, Before the neighbors have a chance to call out, “Congratulations on your wonderful crop! We bless you in God’s name!”
WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?
What a mighty God we love and serve! What a gracious, loving, compassionate Judge we stand in in front of with a healthy fear and awe because of how powerful He is against the Enemy. We face skirmishes daily with the Evil one who continues to tempt the faithful with obstacles thrown in our walk with God. But we have the resurrection power of God who lives in us to overcome!
Here’s why, ICYMI! It is Almighty God who sent His Son from heaven to earth to seek the lost. His work from God was to redeem us by willingly and obediently lay down His life for ours, as a perfect without sin sacrifice to set us free from our sins. The Lamb of God became the ultimate, once and for all, Sacrifice for all the sins of the world. We need only to repent to be saved and set free!
From the cross to the grave, Jesus paid it all but there was still more to come! God always finishes what He starts. On the Third Day of laying in death; God’s final blow to His Enemy was delivered when He resurrected Jesus from death to life!
After “kicking around the King of kings”, Jesus rose from the grave to greet His followers alive and well, scars and all! The women who went were shocked to see the grave empty and terrified of where they took the Body of their Lord. “He is not here, he has risen, just as He said…Remember…” (See Luke 24) Jesus first words to his devoted, beloved, when they saw Him alive and well, were, “Don’t be afraid, it’s Me; now, go and tell the others!” Justice had been served by the One and only Judge with all authority to make freedom happen—He delivered us! Because “God wouldn’t put up with it”, the ravages of sin and death, all the chains and harnesses of sin were broken at the cross!
The Psalmist recalls Israel’s long suffering. From the time Israel was enslaved in Egypt to their current circumstance; they have suffered much at the hands of hostile nations who oppose God. Yet their enemies have not succeeded in their efforts to destroy Israel; not do they hold God’s people permanently in bondage.
God watches over Israel and is faithful even when most are not faithful to Him. The Enemy “withers like grass that sprouts on the flat, sunbaked housetops and “where no plow can prepare a nurturing soil to sustain the young shoots”—so there is no harvest. These curses are not retaliation for a personal slight but rather a desire for judgment against God’s enemies.
Our response?We should acknowledge the true injustice in the world and long for God’s redeeming and redemptive work to overturn and overcome it all! Trust God who is The Judge who will make it happen in ways we cannot now dream or imagine. But He will. Trust Him.
And all God’s people said, “I trust you, Jesus.”
Lord,
You have given us insight by Your Holy Spirit that beckons us to go deeper in our knowledge and faith in You no matter what is happening around us. You have certainly no given up your authority to the limited powers of evil. I believe. I’m listening for you. The One Thing that I seek is all of you dwelling in all of me. Cleanse me, renew my mind, refresh my soul, and restore the joy and peace of your salvation at work within me knowing you are at work in all others as well. To you be all glory, honor, and praise!
What if we poured ALL our entire being into a focused, concentrated effort to deeply trust in God, our Savior, the One who is able and never fails in His promises, especially in the promise to be with us ALWAYS!
What if our trust went so deep, beyond the surface, that we change the way we think about God. What if our trust grew to fully possessing that blessed assurance that we sing of at church when we worship together? What if our commitment to trust Jesus became a habit to solidified our foundation of faith, trust, and dependance on God for all things that bless and challenge us? What if our trust is birthed is habits of gratitude and praise for God, the One who nothing is impossible to accomplish, the One and Only who truly loves us so much He sent His Son to die for our sins while we were yet sinners? What if we completely believe that God really loves and desires to be in all details of our lives! Let’s pause to praise with full trust in God who created us in His own image and knew us before we were born! Let us take in what God wants us to know…
“If each of My children would seekto please Me above all else, fear of others’ judgements would vanish, as would attempts to impress others. Focus your attention on the path just ahead of you and on the One who never leaves your side.” –Jesus Calling by Sarah Young (Scripture references: Psalm 23:4, Matthew 7:1-2, Proverbs 29:25)
Pause to praise—
Psalm 128, The Message
A song of ascents.
1-2 All you who fear God, how blessed you are! how happily you walk on his smooth straight road! You worked hard and deserve all you’ve got coming. Enjoy the blessing! Soak in the goodness!
3-4 Your wife will bear children as a vine bears grapes, your household lush as a vineyard, The children around your table as fresh and promising as young olive shoots. Stand in awe of God’s Yes. Oh, how he blesses the one who fears God!
5-6 Enjoy the good life in Jerusalem every day of your life. And enjoy your grandchildren. Peace to Israel!
WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?
Trust God;He knows what He is doing!
“‘Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, just to take Him at His Word;
Just to rest upon His promise, and to know, ‘thus saith the Lord.’”
Pause to thank God for His blessings—
“Jesus, Jesus, how I trust him! How I’ve proved him o’er and o’er! Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus! O for grace to trust him more!”
(‘Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus, Composed by Louisa Stead, 1882)
Lord,
Oh, how you have blessed me this morning by Your Word of Truth and by Your Holy Spirt who led me to Truth. I love you, Lord, with ALL my heart, ALL my mind, and ALL my soul. I’ll be looking for your acts of greatness all day long and give you praise as you walk before, beside, and behind me, surrounding my whole being, from the inside out and outside in, with your blessed assurance! Lead me, Lord. You have all my trust!
It is a wise person, like Solomon, who knows God and recognizes all the gifts He gives! It is an even wiser, humbled believer who stops to proclaim what God has given to us for our good and to declare His glory as a testimony of praise so others will know God, too! A thankful, wise leader leads people in the ways of God for if God is not present, worshiped, praised, and thanked we slander the very promises of God to be with us always with power to rescue us from harm.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11
“Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”—Jesus, Matthew 7:24-27
Psalm 127, The Message
A song of ascents. Of Solomon.
1-2 If God doesn’t build the house, the builders only build shacks. If God doesn’t guard the city, the night watchman might as well nap. It’s useless to rise early and go to bed late, and work your worried fingers to the bone. Don’t you know he enjoys giving rest to those he loves?
3-5 Don’t you see that children are God’s best gift? the fruit of the womb his generous legacy? Like a warrior’s fistful of arrows are the children of a vigorous youth. Oh, how blessed are you parents, with your quivers full of children! Your enemies don’t stand a chance against you; you’ll sweep them right off your doorstep.
WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?
We want to be wise. No one wakes up one day and says, “I think I want to be a fool and do things that will harm me or worse yet, my family.” Who doesn’t want to have the skills for living that keeps us walking on solid ground with Jesus? No one. Mostly no one.
It is also not our first choice or inner desire to be a fool who follows a foolish storyline of “this will be so good for you” or “you can be in control and have it your way” by cunning, manipulative people in and out of the church, but it happens. We all fall for it from times to time—especially when we are weak and have not called on God’s strength in surrender to His will. With me, I want to think the best of people and assume they are telling me the truth until they don’t. Trust God, He knows what He is doing.
The Good News is that when we fail and make a mess, and we all do—God shows up to flood our souls with His faithfulness, unconditional love along with His merciful kindness. That’s who God is and what He does. I need God in all of my life—all I am, all I think and in all I do. God must be in it! He is our firm foundation!
We can feel so very foolish when we give permission to anyone else but Jesus to tell us how to live our lives because it is those very people who think they can make our lives better, easier, more fulfilling. The Enemy’s goal of destruction and deception is to build within us his traits of envy, jealousy, and pride that he knows erodes our faith in shifting sands of thinking and living. We build a life in vain when our foundation is not God.
When God is not in it, proclaims Solomon, life is full of useless activities of mere survival in “shacks” on the sand where we hide and cower in fear of the Enemy’s attacks on our hearts, minds, and souls. Our fear, most likely, is passed on to our children unless we stop and invite God to be in all the details of our lives as the foundation upon which we build our lives. Only by the blood of Jesus’ sacrifice can we break the cycle of worries, doubts, fears, anxieties, and self-loathing that afflict our beings which lead us to live the life of a fool with “no leg to stand on”—only shifting sand beneath our feet.
When God is in it—He watches over us the tireless watchman who never slumbers not sleeps! Remember Psalm 121 that we read and studied a few days ago? Let’s revisit and refresh our thoughts with thanksgiving to God;
“I look up to the mountains; does my strength come from mountains? No, my strength comes from God, who made heaven, and earth, and mountains.
He won’t let you stumble, your Guardian God won’t fall asleep. Not on your life! Israel’s Guardian will never doze or sleep.
God’s your Guardian, right at your side to protect you— Shielding you from sunstroke, sheltering you from moonstroke.
God guards you from every evil, he guards your very life. He guards you when you leave and when you return, he guards you now, he guards you always.” Psalm 121, MSG
Wow, what choose anyone but God? There is NO ONE like our God!
Lord,
Thank you for all your promises fulfilled with more blessings besides! Thank you for watching over us with love, care, and faithfulness unknown to man. Thank you for cleansing our hearts, renewing our minds, refreshing our souls with your fresh new mercies for today that covers our messes of yesterday. Thank you for restoring the joy of your salvation at work within us. Lead me, Lord, for you are my firm foundation upon with I stand and proclaim your Truth.
There are times in our lives when what God does something beyond what we can only dream. There are those holy moments when God shows us and does something so great for us, in and through us, that causes us to immediately bow in humbled worship before Him. We try to muster human, but lacking, words of thanksgiving to Him when God works His miracles right before our eyes.
Miracles of God prompt the responses of praise, dancing with joy, with smiles on our faces that cannot be erased, a kind of praise that flows from a rescued, saved, uplifted heart, mind, and soul by our God who created us “in His own image”. Our response is almost involuntary as we erupt in spontaneous praise! It happens when we realize immediately that God was in it, working on our behalf all along, even when we did not see or feel Him working! We held out hope that God was working behind the scenes and in the hearts of those who love Him back; but honestly our resolve was tested and frail before He did. God knows our hearts and our weaknesses and provides all the strength we need to overcome in all the overwhelming circumstances of daily living on earth.
Even those who do not know Him completely or follow Him committedly are abruptly stopped with awe of God when He does what He does best—save us. “It seemed like a dream, too good to be true,” the Psalmist begins…
Psalm 126, The Message
A song of ascents.
1-3 It seemed like a dream, too good to be true, when God returned Zion’s exiles. We laughed, we sang, we couldn’t believe our good fortune. We were the talk of the nations— “God was wonderful to them!” God was wonderful to us; we are one happy people.
4-6 And now, God, do it again— bring rains to our drought-stricken lives So those who planted their crops in despair will shout “Yes!” at the harvest, So those who went off with heavy hearts will come home laughing, with armloads of blessing.
WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?
Let us count the ways that God has blessed us throughout our lives! But wait! Is that even possible? I don’t think we realize all that God does on our behalf—daily, hourly, weekly, yearly, as He molds and shapes us to be all He created us to be while protecting us from the Enemy! We can only dream of all the ways God is so good to us, providing for us, before we know we need protecting! We can only dream of what lies ahead for those whose hearts are fully committed to Him through Jesus Christ, His Son who saved and set us free to love like He loves us! We can only dream of what it will be like to praise Him in heaven for eternity!
We can only dream of how a pressing issue in your life and in mine will be resolved by a God who knows exactly who we are with what and who we need most—Him! Trust God from whom all blessings flow!
We can only dream about what the Psalmist proposes—all nations bowing before our One and Only God with glorious praise, humble words of thanksgiving with honor and reverence for the One who rescues and loves us unconditionally. Wow! ALL!
“So those who went off with heavy hearts will come home laughing, with armloads of blessing.”
Yes, we can only dream of the day when Jesus comes back for His final act of gathering all who believe in Him with resolve to follow Him to the home He has prepared for each one of us. “What a glorious Day that will be…”
There is coming a day When no heartaches shall come, No more clouds in the sky, No more tears to dim the eye; All is peace forevermore On that happy golden shore, What a day, glorious day that will be.
What a day that will be, When my Jesus I shall see, When I look upon His face, The One who saved me by His grace; Then He’ll take me by the hand, And lead me through the Promised Land, Oh, what a day, glorious day that will be.
There’ll be no sorrow there, No more burdens to bear, No more sickness, no pain, No more parting over there; And forever I will be With the One who died for me, Oh, what a day, glorious day that will be.
(Written and composed by Jim Hill in 1955, the hymn reflects a personal testimony of hope rooted in the promises of Scripture. Drawing directly from Revelation 21:4, which speaks of a time when God shall wipe away all tears and there shall be no more death, sorrow, crying, or pain, the song paints a vivid picture of the glory awaiting the redeemed.)
We can only dream of this day and all those days to come with Jesus in our hearts, Holy Spirit guiding our thoughts, and God putting big smiles on our faces as He acts on our behalf on earth.
“Now to himwho is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”—Paul, Ephesians 3:20-21, NIV
Lord,
I love you with all my heart, mind, and soul. I love how you work in our lives with lessons that teach us what we need to know. I love the peace you give that drives away fear and worries. I love the blessed assurance you provide daily along with your wisdom and strength to walk through the tough stuff of life here. I love how Your Holy Spirit leads us to the Truth we seek. We are blessed beyond our wildest dreams and imaginations by You. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
We can keep trying to do life on our own power, with our own thinking, our own limited efforts of problem solving. We can even resort to charismatically manipulating others to make life work smoothly for us—from our limited viewpoint. OR we can look up to God in all the details, lean not to our own understanding from where we stand and ask God for wisdom. We can also ask for His power to do what He says from HIS vantage point of eternity. Let us pause for a minute or two. Look around and behind with a hard look inside our hearts to see where we truly are standing.
Listen to the Psalmist’s words; God rescued the Israelites from their enemies over and over again. Although the odds were against God’s people, God was there to guide them from where they were to where He is and saved them from themselves and their enemies. God is doing the same for us again and again!
God is all powerful, created the whole entire universe, is mighty to save, and loves those whose hearts are completely His. (2 Chronicles 16:9) Does He know whose hearts are His? Yes, He does! He loves everyone and his desire is that no one perish but that everyone would turn to Him for help daily, praying for His guidance. God answers with deliverance and a rescue that is eternal!
God also loves us so much He “parts the waters” that could overwhelm with a Way to walk through it all in amazing form! There is no one like our God! This is who our God was, is, and always will be—All-knowing God who created all and is in all! Why trust in anything or anyone else?I do not know. But sometimes we do trust in ourselves, our stuff, and others until we realize our efforts are in vain without the guidance of the One who knows the Perfect Way with the Perfect Plan.
God’s plans are never meant to harm us but to guide us to Him, the only one who knows the numbers of hairs on our heads! (Jeremiah 29:11) He knows us. He loves us unconditionally. He has a Plan to save us, set us free, with the precious gift that only He can give—eternal life! (John 3:16-17) Who do you trust? (Take all the time you need to answer this question meant to help us; not condemn us.
Psalm 125, The Message
1-5 Those who trust in God are like Zion Mountain: Nothing can move it, a rock-solid mountain you can always depend on. Mountains encircle Jerusalem, and God encircles his people— always has and always will. The fist of the wicked will never violate What is due the righteous, provoking wrongful violence. Be good to your good people, God, to those whose hearts are right! God will round up the backsliders, corral them with the incorrigibles. Peace over Israel!
WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?
“The Lord is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him a habitation; my father’s God, and I will exalt him.” Exodus 15:2 (From Moses’ song of victory after crossing the Red Sea).
God is our strength and our song! It does not matter how physically, mentally, emotionally, or even spiritually fit we are—God has strength above all we can muster with a love beyond all understanding! God loves to give us all the strength we need, especially in our weakness to accomplish His plan for our good and His glory! Our surrender to walk humbly with Him is the response He is looking for from us.
We should not seek strength in weapons, economic might, or political strength. Real power with unlimited strength comes from God!
So, who do you trust now?
Lord,
“Let the morning bring word of your unfailing love for all my trust is in you.” (Psalm 143 excerpt as my prayer to you.) Thank you, thank you, thank you for your unfailing love and forever faithfulness to us!
I don’t know about you but I pray often for God to be in all the details of our lives on earth as it is in heaven. I am happy, ecstatic to report that God is doing it again. I got word last night that my Amazon Prime account had been hacked by someone who changed my email and preceded to change my phone number and place an order! I rose early this morning to begin calling Amazon customer service. Three phone numbers later, I got to the person who easily put my account back in control. Of course, I change my password immediately to something much stronger. The hacker tried to be me, place an order, but failed. The bank refused the purchase. Amazon locked down the account before I called. The customer service representative said I was lucky. No, God was in this, working on our behalf! He also led me to the right people at the right time to correct the situation and make the account more secure.
Another problem was solved this morning in the same hour! Our security lights went out for some unknown reason. Because this house is new to us, we couldn’t find the light switch to these particular lights in the garage. The neighbor came over with a tester to see if the power was getting to the sockets. Yes, power was there. He told me where his switch was located but it was not where ours was. Then, I looked up at the ceiling fan that had two wall switches. We thought bought were for the fan and had turned one off! The one we turned off was for the garage lights. No need to buy new special light sensitive bulbs, no need for an electrician, just turn on the right switch!
I believe God works on our behalf daily in all the details of our lives when we ask Him and remember to thank Him when He does! AND I think He has fun doing it! I love putting a
“The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.” Psalm 37:23, NLT
“Surely I am with you always, even unto the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20
“For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” Zephania 3:17
The Psalmist is leading God’s People in worship with thanksgiving! He opens with this thought— “If God hadn’t been for us…” Yikes! We wouldn’t have a chance against the evil of this world!
Psalm 124, The Message
A song of ascents. Of David.
1-5 If God hadn’t been for us —all together now, Israel, sing out! — If God hadn’t been for us when everyone went against us, We would have been swallowed alive by their violent anger, Swept away by the flood of rage, drowned in the torrent; We would have lost our lives in the wild, raging water.
6 Oh, blessed be God! He didn’t go off and leave us. He didn’t abandon us defenseless, helpless as a rabbit in a pack of snarling dogs.
7 We’ve flown free from their fangs, free of their traps, free as a bird. Their grip is broken; we’re free as a bird in flight.
8 God’s strong name is our help, the same God who made heaven and earth.
WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?
Warren Wierbe gives something to consider for verses 7-8;
“The picture is that of a helpless bird who heedlessly walked into the trap in order to eat the food. Satan always has fascinating bait to offer. The Lord may allow us to fall into a trap, but nobody can keep us there when He wants us to be free. The Lord not only opened the trap but broke it so it cannot be used again! The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ has broken the dominion of sin and death, and we can walk in freedom through Jesus Christ.”—Wiersbe Study Bible
God’s strong name is our help!
Jesus is our Redeeming Savior!
God’s Holy Spirit is our guide to all that is Truth!
Believe then, through good times and challenging times on earth that all who believe can rest in that blessed assurance that “God is for us; not against us.” His timing and His ways are always perfect. Trust Him. Even if, He does not act when we want Him to act or fix our problems our way; He’s still working behalf perfectly for those who hearts are completely His. What a blessing God is! There is no one like our God! He leads; we follow.
Paul’s inspired words reassure us!
“What shall we say about such wonderful things as these?If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else?Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.
Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love?Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.
And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”—Paul to the church then and now. Romans 8:31-38
Lord,
How encouraging you are to us in every way! Thank you for being all the details of our lives—from small to large—that strengthens and promotes the growth of our faith in you. Thank you for being with me, leading me, step by step in all the details of life. Thank you for saving my soul, making me whole, and teaching me by your wisdom, especially in tests and trials that perplex me. Increase your wisdom in me as I surrender to your will.
I am a list maker…even in retirement from my secular work. For me, what doesn’t get listed, doesn’t get done. It is also very rewarding for me to check that item off the list when it is accomplished. The list has a progression of priorities. One task cannot happen until another task is completed. And so life goes with my lists guiding my behavior and productivity.
LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLE #6: Keep a Close Check on Yourself
